CALENDER 575 



nature, presses into every pore of the cloth, and smooths its surface more effectually 

 than any wooden cylinder, however truly turned, could possibly do. 



The paper cylinder is constructed as follows : The axis of the cylinder is a strong 

 square bar of the best wrought iron, cut to the proper length. Upon this bar a strong 

 round plato of cast iron is first put, somewhat less in diameter than the cylinder when 

 finished ; a quantity of thick stout pasteboard is then procured, and cut into round 

 pieces an inch larger in diameter than the iron plate. In the centre of the plates, and 

 of every piece of the pasteboard, a square hole must be cut to receive the axis ; and 

 the circle being divided into six equal parts, a hole must also be cut at each of the 

 divisions an inch or two within the rim. These pieces of pasteboard being succes- 

 sively put upon the axis, a long bolt of malleable iron, with a head at one end, and 

 screwed at the other, is also introduced through each of the holes near the rim ; and 

 this is continued until a sufficient number of pasteboards are thus placed to form a 

 cylinder of the length required, proper allowance being made for the compression 

 which the pasteboard is afterwards to undergo. Another round plate is then applied, 

 and nuts being put upon the screws, the whole are screwed tight, and a cylinder 

 formed. This cylinder is now to be placed in a stove, exposed to a strong heat, and 

 must be kept there for at least several days ; and, as the pasteboard shrinks by ex- 

 posure to the heat, the screws must be frequently tightened until the whole mass has 

 been compressed as much as possible. When the cylinder is thus brought to a suffi- 

 cient degree of density, it is removed from the stove ; and, when allowed to cool, the 

 pasteboard forms a substance almost inconceivably dense and hard. Nothing now 

 remains but to turn the cylinder ; and this is an operation of no slight labour and 

 patience. The motion in turning must be slow, not exceeding about forty revo- 

 lutions in a minute ; the substance being now so hard and tough that tools of a very 

 small size must be used to cut, or rather scrape it, until it is true. Three men are 

 generally employed for the turning, even when the motion of the cylinder is effected 

 by mechanical power, two being necessary to sharpen the tools for the third, who 

 turns, as quickly as he blunts them. 



Let us suppose it to be a five-rollered machine : when a person stands in front of 

 the calender, the cloth coming from behind above the uppermost cylinder 1, passes 

 between 1 and 2 ; proceeding behind 2, it again comes to the front between 2 and 3 ; 

 between 3 and 4 it is once more carried behind, and lastly, brought in front between 

 4 and 5, where it is received and smoothly folded on a clean board, or in a box, by a 

 person placed there for the purpose. In folding the cloth at this time, care must be 

 taken that it may be loosely done, so that no mark may appear until it be again folded 

 in the precise length and form into which the piece is to be made up. The folding 

 may be done either by two persons or by one, with the aid of two sharp polished spikes 

 placed at a proper distance, to ascertain the length of the fold, and to make the whole 

 equal. When folded into lengths, it is again folded across upon a smooth clean table, 

 according to the shape intended, which varies with different kinds of goods, or the 

 particular market for which the goods are designed. 



When the pieces have received the proper fold, the last operation previous to packing 

 them is the pressing. This is commonly performed by placing a certain number of 

 pieces, divided by thin smooth boards of wood, in a common screw press similar to 

 those used by printers for taking out the impression left by the types in the printing- 

 press. Besides the wooden boards, a piece of glazed pasteboard is placed above and 

 below every piece of cloth, that the outer folds may be as smooth and glossy as pos- 

 sible. The operation of the common screw-press being found tedious and laborious, 

 the hydraulic press is now had recourse to in all well mounted establishments. See 

 HYDRAULIC PRESS. 



For lawns and muslins of a light texture, the operation of smoothing requires a 

 different process in some respects than close heavy fabrics. They only require to be 

 slightly smoothed to remove any marks which they may have received at the bleach- 

 ing ; and, as their beauty depends rather on their transparency than their closeness, 

 the more the cylindrical form of the yarn is preserved the better. They are therefore 

 put through a small machine, consisting of three rollers or cylinders : and, as the 

 power required to move this is small, the person who attends it generally drives it by 

 a small winch ; or the same effect may be produced by passing the muslins between 

 only two or three rollers of the above calender, lightly loaded. 



In the thick fabrics of cloth, including those kinds which are used for many parts 

 of household furniture, as also those for female dress, the operation of glazing is used 

 both to add to the original beauty of the cloth, and to render it more impervious to 

 dust or smoke. The glazing operation is performed entirely by the friction of any 

 smooth substance upon the cloth ; and to render the gloss brighter, a small quantity 

 of bleached wax is previously rubbed over the surface. The operation of glazing by 

 the common plan is very laborious, but the apparatus is of the most simple kind. A 



